The Optacon Interface uses input from Opticon Stimulator to drive the optacon

Powerlab box reads from Optacon Interface

Response buttons are connected to the Powerlab box

Laptop with Labchart collects the output from Powerlab box (button presses and signal from pins)

Switching on the system

Turn on the computers

Turn on Powerlab box (switch at back next to grey cord)

Turn on Optacon Interface (switch on top of box where it says Power)

Optacon should be the last thing you switch on

Switching off the system

Optacon should be the first thing you switch off

Then switch off the Optacon Interface + Powerlab box

Then switch off computers

Input to Optacon interface

The tower+monitor provides input to the optacon interface

Open Optacon Stimulator

Create New or Open

Uses .txt files – can make these in excel etc.

Array (frames) is the input

Dwell time – how long it stays on that frame

Pins have fixed vibration rate

Single protraction/retraction is 4.35ms for ~230Hz vibration

Dwell time specifies how long the pins vibrate in the arrangement of that frame

Note: Should take into account 4.35ms “frame duration”

e.g. if you put 5ms, It will do 2 protractions/frames, actually taking 8.7ms

OR Click on cells to manually change them

In array/frames for input: specify number of Blocks and Stimuli

Blocks are like the Folder

Stimuli are within blocks

Can repeat blocks or stimuli independently

In the input window for the pins

**ANIMATE – can visualize how the pins are moving
**Switch off animate when running experiment
*** Can cause lag if it is switched on
**LOOP – will repeat whole sequence including blocks, stimuli – toggle on/off

First 5 seconds of task should be empty –

Might be vibrations due to noise etc, so have first 5 seconds empty to ensure experiment starts off clean

Powerlab box

Can choose which pins the Powerlab box records from

"Data Collection"

Laptop has Labchart on it

Uses this for data collection

Starting Labchart:

Labchart shortcut is on the desktop

When labchart loads it will seach for optacon interface

**If optacon interface is powered off you can still load labchart
***e.g. if you want to look at data
**If you want to use it with the optacon interface make sure interface is on first

To use settings that have been made for use with optacon:

Open a template (e.g ‘example’)

Then: File – new – will ask if want to use settings based on other worksheet – click ‘yes’

Testing if everything is connected properly

Make a file that shows the button presses and the pins you are interested in recording from

Run and check if button presses and pin recordings correspond to the correct channel

e.g. Pin input test – test everything is plugged in properly

Recording:

Press START button in the bottom right hand corner to start recording

Top 3 channels shows input – i.e. response from pressing buttons

Bottom 3 channels records from pins

Can toggle MONITOR to the left of start button – it will monitor responses/input but doesn’t record

Make sure it is off when you want to collect data

Monitor Off / Recording– Not showing red X

Monitor On / Not Recording – Showing red X

Can also set up new channels to calculate things from the other channels

Saving:

Save raw data as an .adicht file before doing anything

Can select data points – ‘save as’ data file

For stats:

File – export – labchart txt file

Samples at 10k a second – can downsample it for smaller file size - this may reduce precision of optacon pins because they are very fast (so find a suitable sampling rate for your purposes)

Notes for running participants

Instruct participants that they do not need to press hard on buttons

Feels like it isn’t registering but it is

Use scales to measure pressure on fingers

Keep this constant over conditions and participants

If pressure is too high – will dampen the vibrations – should be gently touching

Misc notes:

Pull out blue cord at back of optacon to use the visual input part of the optacon

Switch at back – INVERT – black on white or white on black

Make sure optacon is not resting on the array – can damage the pins

ALWAYS BE CAREFUL – it is a fragile piece of equipment we can’t easily replace